Sun Exposure Risks for Laser Hair Removal
When the summer arrives many men and women begin to prepare their body for hair removal. At summer our clothes get shorter, women begin to wear mini skirts, sleeveless shirts and begin to think of bikini. Men clothes gets short too, more opportunities to show a smooth abdominal or chest. When the summer arrives thousands begin their laser hair removal treatments.
Most of the laser hair removal systems sold online and at Amazon, are totally safe, if you use them correctly. But the main risk in using these kind of devices is not about using the system, but the side effects of sun exposure before and after using them.
Naturally the skin knows how to deal with the sun light, it gets tanned. The melanin in the skin cells produce dark color cells which turn the outer skin darker. The dark (tanned) skin, protects the skin from the incoming sun light.
Summer Laser Hair Removal Can Be Harmful
Why do we get skin burns at summer? We get skin burns only when we stay outdoors for long periods of them, and the skin is too pale to absorb or filter the sun rays. People with dark or black skin, never get skin burns because their dark melanin cells filter incoming UVB rays.
When using laser hair removal, or IPL hair removal, the skin gets lots of light energy pulsed at it. This may cause some unwanted side effects, but also may be harmful too. The excessive light from the IPL or laser device + direct sun light, is a risky combination.
Here are a few tips how to reduce the risks from long term side effects of summer laser hair removal treatments.
Stay Away From The Sun Before The Treatment
Plan your treatments and leisure time, so you do not expose your skin for lots of sun light 2 days before a treatment. If you have been to the beach, pool, or vacation in a sunny location, wait 3-4 days until you bombard your skin with more light energy.
If your skin got tanned expect a painful treatment. Some of the light which is supposed to be attracted to the dark hair, will be absorbed by the tanned skin tissue. Instead of only the hair getting warmer, the skin will get warmer too.
Stay Away From The Sun After The Treatment
After you have completed the laser hair removal session, do not expose the skin to direct sunlight for 2-3 days. The skin and melanin production may be exhausted by the treatment, and the UV radiation may cause additional damage if the skin is exposed.
After a treatment, wear long sleeve shirts, walk in the shade, cover up, Do not under estimate the damage created by the sun UV. The shorter UV rays called UVB cause outer layer damage – skin burns and redness. The longer UV rays called UVA cause deeper damage, and lower skin layers disorders. Like skin spots, wrinkles and cancer.
Get Protected From UV During Summer
A full laser hair removal, or IPL treatment cycle is 2-3 month when done right. Treatments should be scheduled apart 2 weeks, so the treatments manage to treat the hair in all it’s growth stages. This means that every 2-3 weeks the skin would be underĀ trauma from light energy, and sun exposure.
If you want to reduce the risk for cancer (not from the laser treatments but from the sun after effect!!) you need to wear UV protective clothes during these months. It is wise to wear UV blocking clothes all summer, but especially if you undergo any ‘light based hair removal’ session.
10 years ago these kind of clothes were both rare and expensive. But today there are thousands of items, colorful designs and hot brands. The technology and know-how is very common.
UPF clothes – UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor, like SPF for cosmetics, UPF is for fabrics. You can find T shirts, pants, short and long sleeve apparel, beach wraps and jackets which all block up to 99% of the UV radiation.
Click here for one of the best selling UPF shirts on Amazon.
You need to look for UPF 50 which is the highest possible level of protection, blocking up to 99% of the UV rays.
You can just wear a UPF wrap over your regular clothes the few days after a treatment, which will protect your upper body from UV.
Click here to get this wrap and check other colors available.
Note that during those days after and before the laser treatment you should apply broad spectrum SPF creams which protect both from UVA and from UVB. Apply them generously and every two hours if you are under direct sun light.
Being smooth for summer is awesome, make sure you do it safely.